African Sociocultural Harmony and Enlightenment (ASHE) Foundation is backing and soliciting support for Obatala Model Nursery and Primary school to train and mentor Afrocentric leadership from the roots. Obatala/Otutunzu were the philosophical essences of education, philosophy, law and religion of the two largest Original African groups, Yoruba and Igbo.
We have complained of the loss of our Original African cultural identity to Westernization and globalization, whereby an African can’t really think like a proud and productive African. Success is tied to how un-African we can become in order to be gainfully employed in Eurocentric institutions, therefore we have engineers, scientists and intellectuals whose knowledge is abstract to their environment.
Our Eurocentric scholars failed in translating the utilitarian and philosophical foundations of Yoruba and Original African spirituality, unlike the Europeans that undertook the exercise in the 1700/1800s starting with the book, Christian Philosopher by Cotton Maher based on Original African vaccination procedures known as Soponna. When humanity conceptualized everything through spiritual and philosophical foundations, Original Africans conceptualized knowledge through formal education, law, philosophy and religion under the essence of Obatala (Yorubas), Otutunzu (Igbos) etc. They used chalk known as Efun by Yorubas as markers and to convey knowledge
In ASHEs quest to highlight and strengthen the Original African civilization, especially across South and Middlebelt, we realize that we must design and establish Original African structures that can articulate and enlighten Original African Intellectual foundations from birth to adulthood without the undue Eurocentric slant that makes our children learn A for Apple, an uncommon and irrelevant fruit to the people. By the time an African child is 5yrs old, the current educational system starts a process of racial inferiority complex and cultural slavery. We cant continue to complain without a model of Original African education to challenge the existing colonial curriculum.
We had a global comparable and viable educational system before derailed by European guns and slavery. Before the 1800s, there was no European production technology more advanced the African. It is a known fact that the Ogun corpus that covers metallurgy can fill several libraries, unfortunately we have not been able to create a steel complex which our ancestors started 4,000yrs ago. Every plant has a medicinal use encoded in Osanyin knowledge bank. Esu is the essence of Information but unfortunately is misconceptualized and demonized, which is why our information management is woeful and our people are easily misled with propaganda etc. Ifa is basically electromagnetism.
All these knowledge banks need to be articulated and taught as civilizational foundation knowledge before we can successfully adopt foreign technologies since you can not build in a void. In addition, we must readopt the more balance Original African duality, binary concepts for better understanding of mathematics, science and history, as well as a higher moral values. Original African teaching methods are also superior because we teach practical instead of making students cram theories, which is why Babalawos/Dibias are able to memorize and internalize very deep and complicated philosophies.
Obatala practicioners that are also members of ASHE Foundation brought to our attention their efforts to create the model school, which had started a few years ago, with about 50 students, and now with Osun State approval. Obatala Nursery and Primary school will teach the universal curriculum with an empowering Afrocentric perspective. The Oyotunji South Carolina USA model has shown how Africans taught from an Original African perspective can excel above average. As part of our collective natural evolution towards global Black ascendamcy, it is not surprising that Obatala practicioners are first to start the reclamation of our traditional intellectual base, without which we can’t successfully transfer technology.
In consultation, with Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, the Chairman board of trustees, who has started empowerment of the girl child through Moremi and Osun for vocational pursuits, it was agreed that we needed to groom the youth with Original African strategic thinking to become future leaders of the Original African civilization. Starting with the school currently in Obatala shrine modernized and refurbished by Oonirisa, a new modern neo-African school grounds is planned and to be built. This model is expected to spread across Yorubaland as well as Ndigboland by Otutunzu practicioners and other Original African areas across South and Middlebelt.
ASHE intends to fully back the Obatala Nursery and Primary school, through raising finance and help to model the curriculum, as well as see them through secondary and tertiary education. Our vision like other civilizations with Rockefeller and Ford Foundations, we have to establish structures that groom, support and promote coming generations to key sectors in academic, media and production. Currently, the school needs about N1.4m for recurrent expenditure, which includes 600,000 for teachers salaries for the next 6 month and others (see below). We are hoping that the new school premises will be completed in the next year. Any donations towards recurrent expenditure are to be made directly to the the school accounts included below.
Thanks.
Prince Justice Faloye ASHE Foundation President
OBATALA NURSERY AND PRIMARY SCHOOL
IGBO ITAPA, ILE IFE, OSUN STATE, NIGERIA.
Mission Statement
To raise individuals who would be sound in the knowledge and brilliancy of Orisa/Ifa cum western education. In essence, African spirituality as regards education.
Aims and objectives
To teach African spirituality
To promote, propagate and then inculcate into students the divine character of Obatala which is the orisa of creativity
To raise individuals who would be highly flexible and adaptive in dealing with all kinds of life situations be it socially, mentally, economically and politically.
School Curriculum
(Already offered and yet to be offered)
English language
Mathematics
Basic science
Writing
Social studies
Yoruba language
Home Economics
Health Education
Quantitative Reasoning
Verbal reasoning
Cultural and creative arts
TRS (Traditional religious studies) A substitute for CRK and IRK
Note: A curriculum is yet to be drafted
Agricultural science
Physical health education
Computer Studies
Civic education
History
Security Education
Extracurricular Activities
Ifa chanting and praising (Eerindinlogun, Opele and ikin and kolanut divination practises)
African pharmacology (uses and identification of herbs and roots)
History: Yoruba and orisa stories
Indigenous art and craft practices ( painting, moulding, weaving, knitting e.t.c)
African literature (songs, poems and poetry et all)
Programmes
Excursion and Tours
Stage performances at the annual obatala festival
Present challenges
Funding
Location
Inadequate Staffs
Inadequate Classes
Inadequate stationeries ( Textbook and writing materials)
Lack of basic amenities e.g furnitures
Estimation of Immediate needs
1. marker board: 6 big boards for wall #20,000*6pcs = #120,000
2. 70 plastic chairs & 70 tables: #6,000*70 pupils = #420,000
3. Table for creche #7,500*5pcs = #37,500
5. Paints: 8 buckets of white emulsion #5,000*8pcs = #40,000
6: Instructional materials: #50,000
7. Salary for six months; 10 staffs: #600,000
8. Tiles : 50 packs of tiles: #175000
9. Cement: 10 bags of cement: #30000
Grand total = #1,472,500
10. Aluminium windows: 4 pcs ( To inquire)
School account number
Acc name: ICORA OBATALA ART AND CULTURE ACADEMY
Acc no: 1015980460
Bank name: ZENITH BANK